1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical image display apparatus for and a method of displaying a medical image, particularly, displaying an original image corresponding to one selected from a plurality of images displayed in a smaller size than the original image.
2. Discussion of the Background
A medical image system has been introduced, for example, to store and display medical information. The medical information results from a medical imaging apparatus such as, for example, an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, a nuclear medicine diagnosis apparatus, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, an endoscope apparatus, or the like. The medical information includes image information and may also include its accompanying information. The image information is typically stored with its accompanying information in an image storage apparatus such as an image filing server. The image information and its accompanying information may also be stored in an image display apparatus, for example, temporarily.
When the image information and the accompanying information is stored in those apparatuses, the image information and the accompanying information is often stored hierarchically. The accompanying information may include patient information and examination information. For example, the patient information such as a patient name and a patient identification number may be stored as the first layer. Under the first layer, the examination information such as an examination date may be stored as the second layer. In other words, the examination information may relate to examinations which have been conducted on the patient identified by the patient information. In the third layer, the image information is provided including, for example, image data, size-reduced image data prepared based on the image data before or after the reception of the medical information, an imaging condition, and imaging time. The size-reduced image data may be so-called thumbnail image data.
When an operator such as a doctor desires to observe medical images based on the image data in an image display apparatus, the operator typically operates to display a patient list showing the patient information of a plurality of patients. The operator then operates to select one of the patients from the patient list so that an examination list is displayed based on the examination information of a plurality of examinations with respect to the patient selected from the patient list. The operator operates to select one of the examinations from the examination list so that one or more size-reduced images are displayed based on the medical image data with respect to the examination selected from the examination list.
The operator then usually observes the size-reduced images and selects one of the size-reduced images. In response to the selection, an image corresponding to the selected size-reduced image is displayed in a larger size. If the displayed image is desired one, the operator may observe the displayed image for, for example, the diagnosis. If, however, there is no image (or no size-reduced image) desired by the operator in the selected examination, the operator needs to operate to return to the examination list and display the examination list again. The operator may select a different examination from the examination list and repeat the above operations. The above-described operation work is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. PH07-168845.
Since the above-described operation work requires the operator to return to the examination list which is displayed in a display window different from the size-reduced images, the operator may be required to repeatedly change the display windows one from another unless the desired image is found. The examination list may include only information of an examination date and time. In this case, it is difficult for the operator to find the desired image and may result in forcing the operator to select an examination and observe size-reduced images with respect to nearly every examination. As a result, it may take time for the operator to find and observe the desired image.
Further, imaged parts of the patient and the imaging conditions are typically similar among the examinations. Since the size-reduced images usually have less information than their original images, it is not easy to recognize the difference among them, particularly when they are displayed by changing back and forth the examination list window and the size-reduced image window with respect to a plurality of examinations.